Determination of potential improvements in bio-oil production (ImprOil)

Determination of potential improvements in bio-oil production (ImprOil)

An important route for renewable transportation fuels is to produce bio-oil from forest raw material through e.g. fast pyrolysis, which is then upgraded to fuel at an existing refinery. The oxygen content of the produced crude bio-oil determins the hydrogen demand to reduce the oxygen content to the required level from a refinery perspective and for use in engines. The H2 demand affects, in turn, the cost and the associated CO2 emissions of the bio-oil, as they are, to a large degree a result of the production route for hydrogen, which has been shown in an earlier project, namely Value chains with biofuel intermediates.

The purpose of this project is to investigate alternative technologies that result in a lower oxygen content of the produced crude bio-oil, and alternative routes for production of hydrogen with a lower climate impact than hydrogen from natural gas. The different combined production routes will be compared with respect to total cost, CO2-footprint, conversion yield and energy efficiency.